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Archive for April, 2009

If you want to write a novel, but are putting it off until the kids are grown, I have two words for you: Don’t wait. It’s possible to raise a happy, healthy family and still follow your writing dream. And that’s true whether you’re single or married. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or work outside the house.

You may think I’m crazy – how can you find time to write when you’re already so busy you barely have time to sleep?

It can be done.

J.K. Rowling quite famously penned the first of her Harry Potter series in a coffee shop with her baby napping in a buggy. I wrote my first novel, Flip-Flopped, in two years by setting my alarm for 5 a.m. every day and squeezing in writing before work, and then stealing any other time I could. I’d write a scene while my son built a Lego castle, or do some editing while he was planted in front of the TV for a half hour.

A mother of two small children, Allison Pearson turned her frustrations as a mom into the best-selling novel, I Don’t Know How She Does It. She’s admitted that being a mom and trying to write a novel is difficult – “like having a secret third child in the house that you have to go and play with when the other two have gone to bed,” she’s said. Still, she managed to finish in a year, even with holding a job part of the time.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to sweep aside everything in order to write. There’s this assumption that writing a novel means countless hours of uninterrupted time-just you alone in a cabin somewhere with nothing but pen and paper and maybe a plate of Oreos. That’s not only impossible for most people, it’s not even preferable. Some of your best writing inspiration will come from life. If you make writing a part of your day-to-day routine, you’re far more likely to stick with it.

Some tips for combining motherhood with a writing career:

1. Schedule it in. A friend of mine has a regular 8 – 9 p.m. date with her computer. Barring a broken leg or the house burning down, she never misses it, and she rarely goes over. Knowing she has a limited time spurs her to be productive.

2. Lower your standards, at least when it comes to housework. Could the floor go one more day without sweeping? Could you use bottled pasta sauce instead of making it from scratch? Yes, June Cleaver always did everything perfectly, but she didn’t write a novel. She also wasn’t real.

3. Involve your kids. Plunk them down next to you with crayons and paper while you write. Dub it your “creative time.”

4. Be the tortoise. Forget every story you’ve ever heard about how this or that author wrote a book in a month. Writing your novel will take as long as it needs to take. If you stick with it, you’ll eventually get to the end.

5. Delegate. Women often get stuck with the housework because they feel they’re the only ones who can do it “right.” Give jobs away to your husband or kids, and resist the urge to re-do them – even if the towels aren’t folded right or the stove doesn’t gleam the way it should.

6. Consider starting small. If writing a novel seems overwhelming, start with a short story or even some of the super-short “flash fiction” that’s popular right now. The bonus: It’s easier to get short pieces published on the Internet, so you can amass clips.

7. Banish guilt. As women, it’s hard for us to take time for ourselves. If you’re feeling guilty about spending time writing, remember the saying, “kids learn what they see.” What your children will see is you plugging away at making one of your dreams come true. Isn’t that at least as important as a perfectly clean house?

When I was functioning as that lowest of all life forms, the unpublished author, I benefited from established novelists willing to share their experiences. This article is intended to give something back, especially since my experience had some unexpected turns.

I quickly learned to prefer sending queries by snail mail. Yes, it is slower, expensive, and more work, but my perception is that paper queries are taken more seriously and less likely to be ignored. They are also harder to destroy than merely pushing a delete key.

Where I struck out on my own relative to what I was reading on the Internet was the volume and velocity of my campaign. I sent out more than 500 queries, each a customized package, in three months. I scrupulously abided by all guidelines listed for each agency or publisher except one. I did not abide by the industry’s requirement of honoring exclusive reading policies of agencies who request it.

This is an unethical system that appears to have been deliberately rigged to unfairly favor publishers at the expense of writers. Although many publishers no longer ask for it, it is a disgraceful legacy that needs to be put out of its misery as soon as possible. Ignoring it in a massive way will do that. I do, however, think that, for now, writers should state clearly that they are making simultaneous queries.

Why such a massive, saturation bombing approach to querying? Well, life is short, and the more leads you put out, the greater the chance of a productive hit. I also needed it because I discovered that I was disadvantaged relative to many other authors. My novel, Coinage of Commitment, is a new kind of love story, one written of characters who love at a higher level than we see all around us. Plus it is fittingly written in a more emotionally vivid style than is currently fashionable.

Sales figures tell me this works well for readers, but it did not appeal to agencies who, I quickly discovered, are very conservative, extremely risk averse, and looking only for something they are used to or which has sold well in the past. Many have political or ideological agendas that bias their decision making. I never did come that close to landing an agent. Publishers were more sympathetic, more interested in literature for its own sake, but it was still a tough row to hoe.

The high volume approach to querying was decisive in my case because without it I would not have found the three royalty publishers who offered me contracts. Only after I had exhausted the list of addresses in print sources like Writer’s Market, and those on subscription sites like Firstwriter.com, did I go to open sites like Predators & Editors. There I discovered a new class of royalty publisher not listed in the other sources. These are small outfits with low overheads, who use POD print technology (which is becoming widespread), and who do not accept returns.

Otherwise their books are carried by the leading distributors. This is a group of publishers who have sprung up in the last five years. Many of these folks seem to be in it more for the love of books and literature than the profit motive. I found them much more willing to consider something new, like what I was offering, and this is where I hit gold with my own project.

There are other related issues: how to progress as a writer and improve your manuscript while also trying to sell it; how to deal with independent editors when you feel your manuscript is not good enough; and how to deal with the shadier side of our industry during a query campaign. But that is for a future article.

With the emergence of the computer age, online forms, chat rooms, instant messaging and e-mails have taken the place of the old-fashioned paper and pen. Now, instead of organizers, Blackberries, portable computers and mobile phones are being used by many executives and students in keeping track of their daily lives. With the convenience of tapping into keyboards and the ease of reading printed out information, finding a handwritten report or receipt has become a rare occurrence. It is amazing how Cross fountain pens have not lost their charm in the digital age. They still remain to be symbols of class and elegance in business meetings and other events.

The Art of Writing

In ancient China, writing was considered an art. In fact, during those times, each character has many forms. Even though computers have replaced the need for brush and ink, we still incorporate artsy Chinese characters in our fashion and home decorations. We can say the same thing for beautifully penned letters and journals that have been preserved by that our historians have preserved from our own past. In fact, there is something about our grandparents’ and parents’ journals and old, well-kept love letters that exude an aura of romance and beauty. Writing with your hand does leave an imprint of sweet labor and romanticism that should not be left out of the modern age. Perhaps penning a card or a letter for our sweethearts can be the best way to celebrate her birthday or Valentine’s Day. With the well-shaped nibs of Cross fountain pens and a skilled hand, writing a beautiful letter can be a snap!

Also, in some belief systems, a person’s writing is considered to be a reflection of his personality. Some people practice graphology, a system that allows a person to assess someone’s personality just by looking at his writing. It makes sense because one’s penmanship differs from one person to another. In fact, our own writing can differ according to our moods. We do have a tendency to put too much pressure on the paper when we are angry or frustrated. And, when we are overcome with emotions, our writing can lose its uniformity. So, it would be a good idea to put a personal touch on some of our letters by handwriting them. It would be the best way to give a piece of ourselves to someone who is far away.

If our writing is a reflection of our personality then we would want to be remembered as a person who is sophisticated and classy. Being a pen known for balance and durable nibs, Cross fountain pens can put a touch of elegance in our writing.

A Great Fashion Accessory

Not only does using a Cross fountain pen leave a good impression when we write our letters, it also serves as a wonderful addition to our business suits. Having a beautifully designed pen hooked on the lapel of our jacket or blazer can make us look smart and professional. With the variety of Cross fountain pens available in the market, we can easily find one that suits our style.